ancient tradition
Long-held cultural practice
Ancient tradition refers to a custom, practice, or belief passed down through many generations, typically over centuries.
The phrase often carries weight and authority—an ancient tradition feels more legitimate than a recent one.
Sometimes used ironically for things not actually old: It's an ancient tradition in this house to order pizza on Fridays.
The ironic use playfully claims historical gravitas for mundane habits.
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- sacred ritualCeremonial act with religious significance
- customHabitual group practice
- ancestralOf one's forebears
ceremony · coming of age · fire ceremony · folklore · oral history · lineage · handed down · sacred · holy ground · elders · wisdom · ancestor worship · roots · legacy · rite · passed down · tribal · indigenous
ancient traditionrevolutionary change
Total transformation of systems
progressive reform · modernization · disruptive innovation · iconoclasm · experimental method
ancient, anciently, ancientness, tradition, traditions, traditional, traditionally, traditionalism, traditionalist